Although introduction agencies are becoming a more and more popular way of finding compatible friends, lovers and permanent partners, many of us have very understandable concerns about them.

Here are some of the issues that may be bothering you, and our answers. If there is anything you would like to ask that is not covered here, please e-mail The Circle on pam@gaycircle.co.uk and we will get back to you promptly.

CAN I CONTACT THE CIRCLE BY TELEPHONE?

Yes, the number is on the site under contact us! It will appear on all the stationary you receive. If you would like to chat on the phone with us before you join, please e-mail your telephone number, with convenient times. Please indicate if privacy is required; if so we will identify ourselves only by first name and will not leave a telephone number.

HOW DO I KNOW THAT YOU WILL PROTECT MY PRIVACY?

Only members can access the members' profile/photo gallery on this website.

No surnames or contact details appear here: anyone who is interested in getting in touch with you will need to become a paid up member of The Circle.

Whatever contact details will be emailed to members who wish to contact you if they are members of our on-line service. If you are not comfortable for any contact details to appear here, all your mail can be directed to you via The Circle. Those wishing to write to you simply enclose their letters in a sealed stamped envelope and post it to ourselves. We add your address and post it on to you immediately.

The Circle never sells its mailing lists to other organisations, and your name and contact details will be deleted from our system as soon as you request this. Only staff at The Circle are able to access your details.

IS JOINING THE CIRCLE SAFE?

It's about as safe as it can get. As we hold members' full contact details, they would be unlikely to risk harrassing you in any way. However, you should always meet new people in a public place and tell a friend or neighbour where you are going and when you will be back. Don't forget to telephone that person when you come home to let them know you're back safely!

HOW DO I KNOW THAT I WILL GET MY MONEY'S WORTH?

Some agencies charge exorbitant prices but have a tiny membership base - so how can they hope to provide you with suitable matches? Unfortunately, a few 'fly-by-nights' have given the industry a bad reputation.

The Circle has been in operation since 1998, and now has thousands of members, and numbers are growing daily. We have a particularly large number of members in the Midlands, London, the South East and the North of England.

Our customers are our best ambassadors, and therefore we want you to be delighted with the service you receive. If, after you have joined, you have any concerns that you are not getting value for money, please let us know and we will do our best to remedy the problem.

First of all, we recommend that you give people a fair chance, and don't judge too quickly by their photo. Think of all the people you've ended up fancying that you might not have taken a second look at on first meeting in the past.

We believe the best way to transform your social life is to meet new people, and get out and about to new venues. So if someone seems interesting but not necessarily "love of your life material", why not give them a call on a friendly basis? Who knows, they might be planning a big party that weekend to which you'll be invited!

It may be that you have included a restriction in your profile that really isn't that important to you (such as 'smokers only', 'tall blondes only') that can be removed, which could open the floodgates to a whole new contact base.

WHAT IF MY EX FINDS OUT I'VE JOINED THE CIRCLE?

Please let us know of anyone you do not wish to receive contact details. We can also make arrangements for your profile to be removed from the private members' gallery in the website should one of these people apply for membership.

ARE YOUR MEMBERS INTELLIGENT, ATTRACTIVE AND INTERESTING?

Yes! Gone are the days (if they ever existed) when social no-hopers joined introduction agencies. Most of our members are confident, sociable, and energetic. Many are graduates, and they span all age-groups (with a majority in their 30s, 40s and 50s).

WHY DO PEOPLE JOIN THE CIRCLE?

They have many reasons for joining:

They work in a profession where they cannot 'come out', and there do not appear to be any or many other gay people at work.

They are bored by the superficiality of the scene.

They want to meet new people outside their existing 'cliques'.

They live in isolated or rural areas where there are no gay venues.

They are open to the idea of 'blind dating' but only if they have a fairly detailed idea of what the person is going to be like. They may have been embarrassed by disastrous blind dates in the past.

They want to see a photograph before they make arrangements to meet.

They have tried newspaper contact ads and have wasted a lot of money contacting people who are completely unsuitable.

They have tried expensive introduction agencies only to find that no one suitable was on the files.

They want to join an agency where they can benefit from a personal approach combined with professionalism.

ARE YOUR MEMBERS GENUINE?

The majority are open to finding a permanent partners as well as friendship and romance.

BLIND DATING HAS NEVER WORKED FOR ME IN THE PAST

Please read the Guide to Blind Dating on this site! Click here.

I'M DAUNTED BY THE TASK OF COMPOSING MY OWN PROFILE

We've included questions to help you get going, but if you'd like help composing your profile, simply e-mail us with a telephone number and we can chat it over.

I'M NOT PHOTOGENIC

You are under no obligation to include your photo in your profile, but from our experience, profiles without photos attract a significantly lower response. Most of our members are looking for people they relate to rather than 'model looks', so please include the photo of yourself you like the best if at all possible.

HOW DO I GET THE BEST OUT OF MY CIRCLE MEMBERSHIP?

We recommend you include as many contact details as you are comfortable with, as some people do not like writing letters, some would prefer to write than use the phone, and some are not on email.

We definitely recommend you have your profile on the web (even if you have no internet access yourself) as this can be seen by members from all over the UK at any point in time - they do not have to wait to be sent your profile through the post.

Please pick up the pen or the phone and contact all those that interest you. A number of our members have admitted to taking the decision not to make the first move, out of nervousness. Don't be one of them!

Finally, be friendly with anyone who calls, and friendly in your contacts. Please treat people with courtesy at all times, and honour any arrangements to meet. Good luck!